one of the classes i taught at the June session of SAW was Squam Smock. this was the very first time i’ve ever taught people how to sew their own versions of my popular smock dresses, using my original patterns, and what fun we had! it was a pure joy to teach this class because it was intermediate level, meaning no one needed me to help thread the machine, or wind a bobbin, and i could explain a step and they would run off and DO it!
i think for most of my lovely students, it was just a comfort to have me (not to mention a whole group of peers) in the room for support, advice and tips when needed, as they were all very capable sewists. for many, it was their first time making a garment. i was worried about all we had to accomplish in a limited time, and pushed them hard for the first half of class, but they were rock stars and kept their noses to the needles for 6+ hours (which flew by in a heartbeat)!
several did completely finish in class; some still had a hem or yoke to complete, but most had finished by the time the afternoon knitting party began, or at least for the Art Fair that evening. so for the rest of the weekend, i ran into my girls wearing their dresses and snapped pics when i could!
seanna (above right) used the adorable typewriter keys print from Julia Rothman’s Type collection and hand-embroidered some of the keys on the yoke. i wish i’d have taken a close-up detail so you could see!
and tracy made hers out of her own hand-printed fabric!!! it made her smock a real show-stopper, and the perfect thing to wear while selling her textiles at the fair that evening.
these two kept me laughing throughout the class, and happily shared a machine even though they had to change thread colors each time one sat down to sew. thanks zoe and megan and i’m so proud of you both!
i am beyond excited to teach Squam Smock again at the Taproot Gathering in September. registration ends soon, so if you’ve been hemming (ha!) and hawing, it’s time to take the plunge!
(this awesome photo by nancy aka emeraldlane)
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